Ruffling Some Feathers
by Dark Kaneanite
Summary: A Jpolo request fic.


_A/N: A request done for Artemis Atrocity. It might be exactly what you wre expecting hun, but I tried. _

_I own no one or nothing. Just playing with them to make ppl laugh._

* * *

"Oh no." He backed up with his hand held out in a defensive manner as he shook his head. "There is no way I'm going to-"

"Aww, come on Dream. You know you wanna roast his ass." Tazz cajoled with a smirk on his face.

"No thank you. I just got here to TNA and I'm not looking to rock the boat." Tommy maintained; his arms now crossed over his chest and his face set in a determined scowl.

"After all the shit he put you through in ECW and you don't want to get your licks in?" Bubba added, his lips twisted in a grin and his eyebrow quirked.

"I said no. Raven has a long memory and knows how to hold a grudge. I'm not looking to get on his shit list……again."

"Look at this picture. How can you walk away without saying something smartassed about that?"

Tommy took the picture and snorted laughter worked its way past his lips. It was Raven back when he was known as Johnny Polo. His face had a giant toothy-smile and his chocolately curls were wild around his face. In one hand he held a golfing putter and in the other a straw hat that looked like it would have been more at home on the head of one of the horses in Central Park. Tommy shook his head and handed it back to Bubba, pursing his lips as he tried to talk sense to the group of idiots that were seated around a computer and adding commentary to a series of pictures.

"You all are risking your life with that. I want nothing to do this."

"Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. How many times did you job to Raven?" Stevie asked as he slipped an arm around Tommy's shoulders. "Look at this as a chance to get a little 'satisfaction' after the fact."

"It's tempting, it really is. But no." Tommy extracted himself Stevie's hold and backed out of the locker room, certain that they all were going to be on the receiving end of an Even Flow DDT before the end of the week.

***

His music was cut off and Raven looked out over the assembled crowd at TNA, a smirk tilting his lips. Next to him Stevie shifted nervously and for the merest flash of a moment he wondered what had Stevie worried. The thought was pushed aside as he lifted the mic to his lips and started to speak.

"Abyss, you think you're hardcore. But you have no idea what hardcore is. There's more to it than being willing to fight with barbed wire and thumbtacks. Sure some have made a name with that," Raven sneered, earning himself a large boo from the audience as a picture of Mick Foley flashed across the giant screen; Mr. Socko on one hand and his trusted 'Barbie' in the other. "But those days are long past…"

Raven's tirade was cut off by music he hadn't heard in sixteen years. His face paled under the paint on his cheeks and he felt the tip of his ears burn red as he seen pictures of him gliding across the large screen. Most were of his early, EARLY days in the sport; his bright colored gear and large tooth smiles gave that away. But what really had his blood slowly heating were the damn pictures of 'Scotty Flamingo' and 'Johnny Polo'. He had worked hard to put those two particular gimmicks behind him; yet here they were being thrown up in his face as a mocking commentary ran behind them. He thought he recognized a couple of the voices, but the sound quality was either so poor, or so well blended and blurred that it was hard to pinpoint who exactly they belonged too.

"_You know I find it funny that a man who once made his life jumping around ringside with the tightest clothes to man can stand there and blabber about someone being hardcore. I mean look at him, tight European riding trousers, the buttoned up little coat that makes him look like if he breathed wrong it would come undone…_" The voice continued to mock the picture on the screen, and Raven was nearly splitting apart at the seams from trying to keep his composure. "_And then you have him hugging and touching all over other men whom were sweaty from a match. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I hardly think that that is the definition of hardcore._"More pictures scrolled past, and Raven felt his embarrassment turn into slow burning anger.

He lifted the mic to his lips to demand that whomever was pulling the childish stunt come out and show themselves but then the screen went blank; black and white snow crackling loudly. The lights cut off and Raven shifted from foot to foot; his mind trying to race over the little bit of script he had glanced at and pull what useless information he could from it. No music played and he whipped around, willing his eyes to adjust to the gloom as he felt the ring dip and bounce. A hand brushed his shoulder and he snarled and batted at the darkness; earning himself a laugh that sounded even more familiar and if he hadn't off been so frustrated he probably would have placed it before the lights went up. With eyes narrowed from the sudden light change he glanced around, the dark khol that encased the orbs making his glare seem much more powerful. One by one the men it touched on shrank back, and he turned to the shivering and quietly whimpering man besides him.

"What is this about?" He demanded, his voice carrying without aid of the mic that dangled limply from his hand.

"Well—uh, y'see boss…" Stevie continued to shift, his eyes flitting around the ring and landing on each man that had at one time been opponents or comrades of the seething, braided man next to him.

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!"

The loud declaration made Raven stumble back and with a wry grin he realized that it was the day that he had first stepped into a wrestling ring. One by one they all stepped forwards and shook his hand, or clapped him on the back. His smile was faked, his eyes glittering as he tried to keep from exploding at the public display but when the last man hugged him, he had reason to smile. Quietly whispered in his ear was the name of the man that had orchestrated the entire thing, and as he made his way back up the ramp he whispered to himself that Tommy Dreamer's time would come. And that when it did, there wouldn't be no happy, smiling ending; no one embarrasses Raven and gets away with it, NO ONE.


End file.
